Expert: Ed Buckner - 7/25/2008

Question
How would you respond to the argument that taking prayer out of the schools leads to incidents like the Colombine school shootings? And what exactly is wrong with prayer in school? Isn't American a Christian nation founded on Christian principles? Thank you for your time.

Answer
Dear Linda,

I'd respond that it makes no sense at all to believe that taking government-sposnored prayer out of public schools leads to violence. Violence in public schools is extremely rare, no matter what kind of public school. When horrible violence does occur the causes for it are quite complex and difficult to deal with.

There is no effort, and never has been any, by the courts or the ACLU, etc., to take prayer out of school--only to prohibit school officials, as government agents, from endorsing religious ideas or leading students regarding religion. The alternative is to allow majorities to decide what religious ideas deserve government support. Imagine that you lived in an area that was majority Muslim or majority atheist--would you then accept sending your child to a school, supported in part by your tax dollars, that led the child in praising Allah as the only God, or in a chant that "There is no God"? The purpose of church/state separation is protect individual citizens in their right to choose their own religious--or irreligious--beliefs.

The United States is not now and never has been a Christian nation founded on Christian principles--it is a free country, where all citizens can freely worship and believe as they please.

I'd urge you to visit websites like those operated by Americans United for Separation of Church and State or by the Joint Baptist Committee, for far more details.

Good luck and regards,

Ed B.